And we would have had another if that "guy from the coast" didn't defect to Australia! He's a sports traiter. Trained, practised and was supported here until the big games and then he leaves to represent Australia (nothing personal here) without so much as attempting to try out for the Canadian team. Apparently, he's a millionaire teen who owns a spamming computer business. And has a lot of attitude. May deserve his sports win, but as a person, I'd like some better qualities.

Actually that's not true. He had problems with the Canadian national team in that he wasn't getting a lot of funding back when he needed it. And he couldn't make all the camps that the national team had because of the business he was starting (at 13!) which the national team didn't approve of and which meant he wasn't being put forward for international competitions when others were. So he got disillusioned and quit skiing. Then he met up with a Canadian coach who had moved to train the Australian team. The Australian team was willing to work around him and so he immigrated to Australia. And it obviously worked out well for him. In my view it is a black mark on the Canadian system with for being too rigid to encompass athletes with different priorities/responisibilities and training methods. Furthermore, when the CBC interviewed him the reporter was just shameful - not congratulating him on winning but asking him if he felt bad for winning because it meant the Canadian competitor finished out of the medals (he finished 4th) and stuff like that.
Speaking of Canadians competing for other countries - the women in the American pairs ice skating team (both dance and figure skating) are both Canadians who are competing for the Americans. And many Canadians and Americans compete for other countries on hockey teams and stuff like that. So it's not unusual.

Sweden's in the finals in the women hockey tournament! We beat USA in the semifinals, which I don't think many people predicted, so now we have one more gold or silver. Probably silver so Misskitty will be happy!

Well done!! I will root for Sweden to take the GOLD!!
I wonder how long it will take my former foreign exchange students to call me and boast. Good for Sweden! I honestly didn't know that the USA had women's hockey.

Originally Posted by Rusicade

...and not just because now Canada has increased chances of Gold, but something about the US losing makes me happy.

As an American, I typically root for Team USA. However, if there are clear underdogs competing, then I will root for them.

I thought Canada was already in the finals, but I just heard that the game is in half an hour. It would be fun to see Finland and Sweden in the finals, totally unexpected. I expect Canada to get there though. And Rusicade you will be happy to know that yesterday the Sweden women curling team beat the US. Of course I like that, I'm Swedish.

Ana, as BelfastGirl said, Torino is the Italian name for Turin. I prefer Turin which is why I put that I say Turin in my line. (Off Topic: It's quite interesting to hear what other countries call cities that I'm so used to hearing by their Anglicized names. Apparently Florence is Firenze in Italian!).

My mom thinks the Canadian athletes complain too much and are too satisfied with finishing 25th or whatever. So she's voting for the Swedes. And, no, she's not Swedish and she doesn't know any Swedes. She just picked them at random.

femme - bite your tongue! The Canadians must beat the Finns in the hockey. And then we can beat you Swedes (as the laws of nature require). Even my Swedish-supporting mom wants the Canadians to win in hockey.

Canada is in a 3 way tie for 2nd place in the medal standings (with Germany and Russia). Norway is in first with 13.